Guilherme Scores Twice in Houston Dynamo Debut to Rally Past Chicago Fire 2-1

For more than an hour, the Houston Dynamo's new-look attack looked like a group chat where nobody had learned each other's names yet. Then Guilherme introduced himself.

The Brazilian winger, a Designated Player signing from Santos FC, scored twice in 11 minutes in his Dynamo debut, and Houston came from behind to beat the Chicago Fire 2-1 on Saturday night in front of 20,254 fans at Shell Energy Stadium. Hugo Cuypers had given Chicago a first-half lead, but the Fire managed one shot after halftime, and Houston's second-half pressure finally broke through.

Cuypers Strikes First

Chicago set up in a 5-4-1 and had more of the ball, finishing the night with 57.5 percent of it. Philip Zinckernagel fired a direct free kick over in the fourth minute, Duane Holmes was booked for Houston in the 13th, and Jonathan Bond had to save a Maren Haile-Selassie shot from a tight angle on the left in the 18th. The Fire then won three corners in three minutes but could not turn them into anything.

Houston's 3-4-2-1, with Ezequiel Ponce up top and Guilherme and Mateusz Bogusz behind him, struggled to connect early. Its first efforts came from Ponce, who had two long-range shots blocked and was caught offside in the 29th. Joel Waterman picked up a yellow for Chicago in the 26th.

Cuypers missed to the left off a Leonardo Barroso cross in the 30th minute, then made no mistake a minute later. Chicago's match report said he pounced on an errant Houston pass, sprinted into the box unmarked and, when a defender caught up, cut away before finishing with his left foot. ESPN has the shot flying into the top left corner. 1-0 Chicago.

The Fire said it was the first time Cuypers, their back-to-back team Golden Boot winner, had scored in a season-opening match. The AP noted he had 17 goals in 33 appearances last season. Bond kept the gap at one with a save on Barroso in the 44th.

Houston Turn Up the Heat

The second half was a different game. Bogusz shot wide in the 46th minute, Jack McGlynn forced a save from Chris Brady in the 54th, Bogusz went high and wide in the 57th, and Ponce headed a McGlynn cross high and wide after a corner in the 63rd. Houston had eight of its 10 shots after the break.

In the 66th, the pressure paid off. McGlynn slid a through ball behind the Chicago back line, and Guilherme ran onto it and finished left-footed into the bottom right corner. 1-1.

In the 70th minute, Bogusz nearly completed the turnaround himself, hitting the right post with a left-footed shot from outside the box. Lucas Halter was booked in the 75th, and Chicago head coach Gregg Berhalter made a double change in the 76th, sending on Christopher Cupps and Chris Mueller.

The Turning Point: Guilherme Follows Up

The changes barely had time to settle. In the 77th minute, Bogusz crossed for Ponce, whose left-footed shot from the center of the box was saved by a diving Brady. Guilherme, according to Chicago's report, pounced on the rebound and finished from the left side of the six-yard box into the bottom left corner. 2-1, and Shell Energy Stadium went full Space City.

"This is a guy that has been playing at a really high level in a serious league against great players for a long time," Houston head coach Ben Olsen said.

Chicago's response was muted. Haile-Selassie had a shot blocked in the 83rd, Mueller and Erik Sviatchenko were booked in the 84th and 85th, and Guilherme left in the 87th with an injury, replaced by Franco Negri. Puso Dithejane and Sergio Oregel came on for the Fire in the 88th, but six added minutes passed without Chicago getting another shot away.

Star Watch

Guilherme took two shots, put both on target and scored with both. MLS noted the 30-year-old won the 2025 Campeonato Paulista Golden Boot with Santos, scoring 10 goals, and helped Santos avoid relegation in the 2025 Campeonato Brasileiro after the club earned promotion in 2024. "You can see the quality he brings, both between the boxes and also in the final third, so hopefully there is more of that to come," Olsen said.

Jack McGlynn supplied the assist for the equalizer, forced a save of his own and crossed for Ponce's header after a corner.

Mateusz Bogusz had three shots, a post and the cross that led to the winner. Ezequiel Ponce led Houston with four attempts.

Jonathan Bond made two saves, both in the first half, when Houston needed him most.

For Chicago, Hugo Cuypers did his job with a sharp finish, and Chris Brady made two saves. The problem was everything in between.

Stats That Matter

• Possession: Chicago 57.5 percent, Houston 42.5 percent.
• Shots: Houston 10 with 4 on target; Chicago 6 with 3 on target.
• Second-half shots: Houston 8, Chicago 1.
• Interceptions: Houston 14, Chicago 7.
• Fouls: Chicago 20, Houston 11.

What It Means

Houston opens at 1-0-0 with 3 points and hosts LAFC on Saturday, a stiff early test after LAFC's 3-0 win over Inter Miami. Olsen's verdict on his new star was simple: "He is a fun guy to watch, and he is also working his tail off."

Chicago starts at 0-0-1 with 0 points. The AP noted Berhalter led the Fire to their first playoff appearance since 2017 last season, and the club fielded several newcomers here: per Chicago, Mbekezeli Mbokazi, Anton Salétros and Dithejane made their first MLS appearances, while Robin Lod made his Fire debut after 158 regular-season appearances for Minnesota United. Chicago hosts CF Montréal at Soldier Field on Saturday, Feb. 28.

Closing Take

Houston, it turns out, did not have a problem. It had a winger who needed 11 minutes to change the weekend. Chicago controlled the ball, took the lead and still went home with nothing, which is what happens when the other team's new signing treats his debut like a trailer for the whole season.

Stats from ESPN's match data. Postgame quotes as reported by mlssoccer.com; additional reporting from the AP via ESPN and Chicago Fire FC (chicagofirefc.com).